Misuse of disabled parking spots

Gerrup Outta Dat!

Nothing fills me with more rage than seeing scumbags misusing disabled parking spots. They are the scum of the Earth and should be treated like nothing more than dirt.

In my local supermarket car park, the disabled spots are ALWAYS being misused. There are only 12 spots. Every time I go to the car park I see them being misused.

I've confronted people on occasion (after carefully inspecting the dash to see that there was no permit) only to be met with violent hostility.

It was a pissy rainy day not so long ago and all of the spots were occupied (ALL by cars not displaying permits). A van drove in and I could see that it was Mr. xxxxx a friends father who has a disabled son. I went over and helped him to help his son out of the spot when his van (through no fault of his own) was stopped in the middle of the roadway in the car park. I told him to take his time with his young son, I'll park his van for him and drive it back out and help his son back in the van with him when he's finished getting his things. I'll do my shopping after. He was eternally grateful.

I went into the shop and my first port of call was to tell the security man what had happened. He just shrugged and barely looked up. I spoke to customer service in the presence of the shop manager and was basically told to mind my own business and that I shouldn't be doing security's job. I responded by saying that security isn't doing his job either.

Why are people such selfish scumbags?

Can we start a thread where we post pictures of offending vehicles?

mikhail

I worked in a hardware store as a student. The manager used clamp anyone who did that. There's the odd edge case - recently disabled, or helping a disabled relative/neighbour, but lots of scum too. There's a certain percentage of the population who just suck. Maybe the social credit rating the Chinese are developing might help.

razorblunt

Would he be related to the Xxxxxxxx family in Offally, by any chance?

Hector Bellend

Have a ****

biko

There is a bad parking thread in Motors, here

Snotty

I used to challenge people all the time at the shop I used to work in years ago, it was always "sure, I'm just running in, I'll be 2 seconds". I used to ask them to move and they usually did without a problem, it was 90% woman between 30 and 50 years old, you can guess the type.

frag420

Since the divorce the are just his Ex family now...

razorblunt wrote: »

Would he be related to the Xxxxxxxx family in Offally, by any chance?

AnneFrank

This bugs me too but people don't care, "I'll only be 2 minutes"

Will I Am Not

What is the point in parent and child parking? Whatever about disabled spots, nobody even bothers taking notice of parent and child spots.

Cuddlesworth

This has got to be Ballybrack Shopping Center. I've been all over Dublin and I've never encountered a location as bad.

Snotty

The Fake Sheikh wrote: »

What is the point in parent and child parking? Whatever about disabled spots, nobody even bothers taking notice of parent and child spots.

They are fair game, park away. If anyone says anything, just say "Sure isn't the baby's in the boot" and walk away.

The Fake Sheikh

The Fake Sheikh wrote: »

What is the point in parent and child parking? Whatever about disabled spots, nobody even bothers taking notice of parent and child spots.

That's mainly why I bring my mum to the shops, so I can get into those parent and child spots with a clear conscience.

Capt'n Midnight

The permanent solution is to make them eligible.

mikeysmith

Would be better if the disabled people just shopped online

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

Better posting this in the motor forum OP.

selwyn froggitt

In France, some disabled spaces have a sign that translates as:

“You can take my parking space if you take my disability”, emphasising that disabled spaces aren’t up for grabs.

Knine

I was at Connolly Hospital last week. My mother is on oxygen and my father was actually in the Resus Room in A& E. I left my car outside A& E but not blocking anyone. I had a Blue Permit on display. Security were over 2 me before I even got out of the car telling me I would be getting clamped. I just left the car there anyway.

Meanwhile the 3 disabled Bays had cars with no Permits in them & no clamps.

elperello

This -

https://thetechieguy.com/the-lisbon-wheelchair-proteststupidity-is-not-a-disability/

tayto lover

People who use their mother / father's disabled badge for their own purposes are just as bad. I reported a few of these recently.

lazybones32

Gerrup Outta Dat! wrote: »

Nothing fills me with more rage than seeing scumbags misusing disabled parking spots. They are the scum of the Earth and should be treated like nothing more than dirt.

In my local supermarket car park, the disabled spots are ALWAYS being misused.

I'm glad it fills you with rage. It reminds me of people on online games who work themselves into a rage over something so, so trivial and end up screaming at everyone else before quitting.

Choose a witty hashtag for your crusade or, now hear me out on this, don't sweat the little stuff and just let it go... Private carparks can be run as the owner sees fit and if they don't prosecute or take issue with people who park in these spots, why should you?

elperello

OP
It's just going to go downhill.

LordSutch

The Fake Sheikh wrote: »

What is the point in parent and child parking? Whatever about disabled spots, nobody even bothers taking notice of parent and child spots.

I've had a few run-in's with childless drivers parking in parent & child bays. Wish they wouldn't do it, but some do! You might as well talk to the wall as argue with them.
That type always have an excuse.

Pinch Flat

Some people are lazy, selfish and self-centered ar$eholes who care nothing more than their own convenience and couldn’t give a toss about others. The “me,me,me” I’m entitled ones who see their cars as some sort of magic carpet to ferry their lazy ar$e around.

You’re not going to change them OP. Same in our local shop - the fact that the 2 disabled spots are right outside the front door is an open invitation to the kn0bs to park there.

The only solution would be mandatory on the spot fines and / or clamping. Hitting their pocket would be the only way these people would listen.

DrPhilG

People are selfish arseholes. End of story.

Disabled spaces, parent/child spaces, electric car spaces are all fair game to them. Who cares if someone who really needs it is being inconvenienced, so long as Jonny Arsehole gets into the shops 30 seconds faster.

My mother used to be in a wheelchair and kept a supply of A4 notices in the car to stick on people's windows. As an electric car driver I do the same now 25 years later.

The best thing to do would be to attach these notices using fresh shyte but I don't always have some to hand...

Jawgap

The Fake Sheikh wrote: »

What is the point in parent and child parking? Whatever about disabled spots, nobody even bothers taking notice of parent and child spots.

I'd never use a disabled spot, but parent and child spots are just a joke - took my mother shopping once and used them......it's unclear from the conditions whether the 'child' has to be of non-driving age

somesoldiers

Jawgap wrote: »

I'd never use a disabled spot, but parent and child spots are just a joke - took my mother shopping once and used them......it's unclear from the conditions whether the 'child' has to be of non-driving age

Are you a child?

BillyBobBS

The Gardai and parking wardens should have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to able bodied people parking in the disability spots. Cars should be seized and lifted and if the person can not prove within 24hrs they have a genuine disability/blue badge then the car should be crushed and left on their driveway. Wouldn't take long for the "i'm only getting a pack of fags or popping in to get my dry cleaning" brigade to alter their ways.

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

Jawgap

somesoldiers wrote: »

Are you a child?

...I am.....on so many levels.....and far too often.....

The way I understand it - people really don't have much of a choice when it comes to suffering a disability.....they do when it comes to children, they can choose not to have them, they can choose how many to have and they can choose to bring them shopping or not......the parent and child spots aren't a necessity, they're a sop and I don't see why a parent's convenience should trump anyone else's.

Btw, if you have an elderly parent, who is a bit wobbly on their feet but doesn't have a disability permit, is there anything really wrong with using a parent and child spot to get them a bit closer to the door?

Jawgap

BillyBobBS wrote: »

The Gardai and parking wardens should have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to able bodied people parking in the disability spots. Cars should be seized and lifted and if the person can not prove within 24hrs they have a genuine disability/blue badge then the car should be crushed and left on their driveway. Wouldn't take long for the "i'm only getting a pack of fags or popping in to get my dry cleaning" brigade to alter their ways.

The Guards have a bit of clampdown going on at the moment - Operation Enable - on the able-bodied or improperly permitted cars using disabled-only bays.

The troubling bit isn't the number they're catching using the bays, it's the number of fake permits they're finding - people who fake a disabled permit really do deserve to have their car seized, crushed and disposed off.

dodzy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpUb93vTV0o

Jump to 2:48.

somesoldiers

Well there's an element of safety about it from my experience. They are generally closer to the shops, less chance for the child to get hit by a car,particularly where one parent has two to deal with, they are wider allowing side access to transfer car seats to buggies.

Would have no problem with an older or anyway infirm person using them, just the a$$holes that use them to get to the shop 20 seconds quicker.and the ones that used the disabled when they don't need to are the lowest of the low

peteb2

Jawgap wrote:

Btw, if you have an elderly parent, who is a bit wobbly on their feet but doesn't have a disability permit, is there anything really wrong with using a parent and child spot to get them a bit closer to the door?

The benefit of the child and parent spots isn't that they are closer to the door. In most cases they aren't. It's the ample space you get to open the back doors of the car to manoeuvre a small person into a car seat.

Jawgap

peteb2 wrote: »

The benefit of the child and parent spots isn't that they are closer to the door. In most cases they aren't. It's the ample space you get to open the back doors of the car to manoeuvre a small person into a car seat.

....as I said, a convenience not a necessity......and in no way comparable with disabled parking.

jester77

You get the regular parking fine and an additional fine on top of that if you do that here in Germany. It seems to work as the spaces are rarely occupied.

CeilingFly

Parent and child spots in private carparks are there as part of their marketing strategy - they have no meaning in reality but decent motorists will leave them for parents with young children.

Disabled spaces in private carparks, whilst they are there as part of the plannign permission, there is nothing gardai can do and no ticket can be issued (that may change). If clamps are being used a notice that is clearly visible must be displayed, but such action is rarely used as shops still wants those as customers.

So until legislation changes are made, (proposals are in the senate I think) very little can be done.

greenttc

Jawgap wrote: »

....as I said, a convenience not a necessity......and in no way comparable with disabled parking.

Its not a convenience!! Sometimes when parking in a normal spot you have no room whatsoever to open a door to get the child seat into the back. You are either left sitting waiting ages for the car owner beside you ro return so you can get the baby in or you have to ask and trust someone to hold your baby while you reverse out enough to give you rooom. Or just leave them on the ground. Nightmare. Hate selfish feckers who take th p and c spaces and leave me in that predicament. Also wish the parent and child spots were at the furthest point away from the front door so there is less chance of them being taken.

Kintarō Hattori

Jawgap wrote: »

...I am.....on so many levels.....and far too often.....

The way I understand it - people really don't have much of a choice when it comes to suffering a disability.....they do when it comes to children, they can choose not to have them, they can choose how many to have and they can choose to bring them shopping or not......the parent and child spots aren't a necessity, they're a sop and I don't see why a parent's convenience should trump anyone else's.

Btw, if you have an elderly parent, who is a bit wobbly on their feet but doesn't have a disability permit, is there anything really wrong with using a parent and child spot to get them a bit closer to the door?

Jawgap wrote: »

....as I said, a convenience not a necessity......and in no way comparable with disabled parking.

they can choose how many to have and they can choose to bring them shopping or not......the parent and child spots aren't a necessity, they're a sop and I don't see why a parent's convenience should trump anyone else's.

Spoken like a person who doesn't have kids. Yes you can choose not to bring them to a shopping centre but sometimes you do need to bring them. Perhaps you need to go to a pharmacy, perhaps you need to go to the doctor and so on.

As you may well tell I do have a child and I do bring them to the shopping centre. I've never had the luxury of parking in a parent and child spot as there are very few in my local SC and they are always occupied. I'd very much so appreciate the luxury that they afford as unloading a car seat can be quite a handful as is putting them back in when you're leaving. You then also have a pram to load into the boot. While it's handy for me there's also the factor that when doing all this the door is typically wide open and in a normal sized space there's always a risk of scraping a parked car beside you.

While I and other parents in no-way would demand a space, it's simply thoughtful that the planners have people like us in mind. It's being decent and thoughtful of others. In no way whatsoever would I say and no-one on this thread has said, that a parental space is as important or necessary as a disabled space. There should always be loads of disabled spots and parking in them should be enforced. No-one compared one with the other.

i know u know

A friend of mine always says she's going to bring around paper and glue and stick it to to the Windscreen of cars parked in disabled spaces with no blue badge. I do hope shes joking but I feel shes not...... her theory is that then they'd have to explain to whoever asks about the paper stuck to the window that they illegally parked

padser

I think the real issue here is that disabled people always seem to get the best spaces.

It's completely discriminatory and the able bodied folk are just fighting back in their own way.

Simple solution, reserve spots for handicapped people but put them at the far end of the car park...then they wouldn't be so god damn enticing!

peteb2

Jawgap wrote:

....as I said, a convenience not a necessity......and in no way comparable with disabled parking.

Neither is some auld doll who isn't disabled. But there you go.

sweetlikejelly

I had a disabled parking permit for bringing my wheelchair bound Mother places and I would never even consider using it if I did not have her with me. However, I was astounded by the amount of people who asked to borrow it so they could park when going shopping etc.

They seemed to think it was there to be shared around for everyone's convenience and gave no thought to the genuinely disabled people who need the short supply of accessible spaces.

When I refused to hand it over I was seen as a pedant who was just being difficult. Honestly, the selfishness of some people will never cease to amaze me.

Donal55

Can't see why the DDA don't just change the colour of their permits every few years similar to the way the car tax disc is changed.

Far too many permits are so old and out of date that they're more faded than my Levi jeans!

Jawgap

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

Spoken like a person who doesn't have kids. Yes you can choose not to bring them to a shopping centre but sometimes you do need to bring them. Perhaps you need to go to a pharmacy, perhaps you need to go to the doctor and so on.

As you may well tell I do have a child and I do bring them to the shopping centre. I've never had the luxury of parking in a parent and child spot as there are very few in my local SC and they are always occupied. I'd very much so appreciate the luxury that they afford as unloading a car seat can be quite a handful as is putting them back in when you're leaving. You then also have a pram to load into the boot. While it's handy for me there's also the factor that when doing all this the door is typically wide open and in a normal sized space there's always a risk of scraping a parked car beside you.

While I and other parents in no-way would demand a space, it's simply thoughtful that the planners have people like us in mind. It's being decent and thoughtful of others. In no way whatsoever would I say and no-one on this thread has said, that a parental space is as important or necessary as a disabled space. There should always be loads of disabled spots and parking in them should be enforced. No-one compared one with the other.

Actually I do have kids - not so much children anymore, and yes I used to bring them shopping and yes I enjoyed the convenience of a parent and child space when they were provided and available.

.....I never saw them as anything other than a convenience - part of the 'offering' to lure in parents, which was fine I was willing to be lured.

Now I take my mother and, occasionally, my mother-in-law shopping (not together) - neither are great on their feet and one of them uses a frame - is it ok to use the parent and child bays then so we've extra space to open doors and get walking aids in and out?

It's ridiculous to compare them to disabled bays which are, in fact, a necessity.....

.....and if @greenttc sees them as not being a convenience, then does that not imply they regard them as a necessity (when they were the two options offered).....and is that not placing them on the same level as disabled bays?

If you want/need more space park where there's more space......or get them to change the law around the parent and child bays.

Samaris

Tbh, with parent and child spaces - I wouldn't park in them. Sure, they'll get abused, but my abusing them too isn't going to help matters, is it? Yes, it's not a legal requirement, but if the only thing that has one showing a little courtesy to fellow people is the law, that's your own personal character flaw.

I'd be okay with using one for the sake of an elderly parent who may not be too steady getting across the carpark and/or might have difficulty getting out of the car in a normal space though. I'm not totally unreasonable, but able-bodied lazy people can take a running jump.

Jawgap

peteb2 wrote: »

Neither is some auld doll who isn't disabled. But there you go.

ah, pride can be a terrible thing......not everyone who deserves something is willing to accept it when they've spent their lives living off their own efforts

Jawgap

Samaris wrote: »

Tbh, with parent and child spaces - I wouldn't park in them. Sure, they'll get abused, but my abusing them too isn't going to help matters, is it? Yes, it's not a legal requirement, but if the only thing that has one showing a little courtesy to fellow people is the law, that's your own personal character flaw.

I'd be okay with using one for the sake of an elderly parent who may not be too steady getting across the carpark and/or might have difficulty getting out of the car in a normal space though. I'm not totally unreasonable, but able-bodied lazy people can take a running jump.

To be clear......I don't park in them unless I need to. I'm not out there waging a one-person campaign against parents :D:D

But if I feel I need to use one (if it's lashing/snowing/icy or I'm picking up something bulky and don't want to hike it too far) and there's a spot going I'll temporarily occupy it......the rest of the time I park a bit away from other cars to avoid the dings.

Will I Am Not

LordSutch wrote: »

I've had a few run-in's with childless drivers parking in parent & child bays. Wish they wouldn't do it, but some do! You might as well talk to the wall as argue with them.
That type always have an excuse.

But what excuse could they have if there's no child?

greenttc

Jawgap wrote: »

.....and if @greenttc sees them as not being a convenience, then does that not imply they regard them as a necessity (when they were the two options offered).....and is that not placing them on the same level as disabled bays?

If you want/need more space park where there's more space......or get them to change the law around the parent and child bays.

I never said they were as important as disabled spots, they are an absolute necessity. Why are we even trying to rank them in order of importance though, are you saying that we should also rank the level of abuse each spot gets?

As I said in my post I wish they would put them as far away from the front door as possible to minimise abuse. No point in me just parking at the far end of the car park, it doesnt stop people from parking close next to me , I have tried it.

To the person who thought disabled spots should be far away, that doesnt make elsense and you have no understanding of the range of disabilities out there, its not jist about wheelchairs or needing space to get in and out it is also that people just need to be close to the shop.

And jawgap if you did want to start you ranking that would be one reason disabled spots are a bit more important.

Jawgap

greenttc wrote: »

I never said they were as important as disabled spots, they are an absolute necessity. Why are we even trying to rank them in order of importance though, are you saying that we should also rank the level of abuse each spot gets?

So what are disabled bays - a contingent necessity

Not at all - there's no ranking to be done - parent and child bays are just paint. They carry no force of law, and they are just part of a company's marketing - if they were important shops and car park operators would post warning signs and clamp people for using them without their kids but they're not going to shoot themselves in their corporate foot that's why there's no enforcement of them (at least that's my experience, ymmv).

greenttc wrote: »

As I said in my post I wish they would put them as far away from the front door as possible to minimise abuse. No point in me just parking at the far end of the car park, it doesnt stop people from parking close next to me , I have tried it.

To the person who thought disabled spots should be far away, that doesnt make elsense and you have no understanding of the range of disabilities out there, its not jist about wheelchairs or needing space to get in and out it is also that people just need to be close to the shop.

And jawgap if you did want to start you ranking that would be one reason disabled spots are a bit more important.

Dtp1979

greenttc wrote: »

or you have to ask and trust someone to hold your baby while you reverse out enough to give you rooom.

Seriously, it still shocks me that people are stupid enough to drive into spaces. Do it properly and reverse in to the space.